Nov 21 'Super Beat Sports' Impressions: A Rhythm Heaven

For its first outing on the Nintendo Switch, music-driven studio Harmonix (Rock Band, Amplitude, DropMix) went with a game all-too familiar to both Nintendo fans and longtime followers of the studio: a rhythm action game.

Super Beat Sports focuses on two things: music and sports. Its modes are split into mini games, each with tiers of levels based around difficulty, speed, reaction and more. These mini games each have a sports riff, including WhackyBat (baseball/wallball), BuddyBall (baseball/wallball), GobbleGolf (golf), NetBall (volleyball) and RhythmRacket (pong/tennis).

Each game has its own set of rules and different environments, but each one is customizable based on your gear and how many players you have. While you can play everything in single player, the game levels up when you jump into local co-op.

Of the games in the package, NetBall might be the most fun. Games like WhackyBat and BuddyBall share similar DNA, focusing on a volley between you and another player or obstacle in the game's area. NetBall is super fun in co-op, but lacks a bit in single player. That being said...

As a single player experience, Super Beat Sports reminds us of Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven, a game that is packed with mini-games involving rhythm and timing. But Super Beat Sports takes on an identity of its own the deeper you get, and its clear that the team at Harmonix knew exactly what they wanted -- the game is incredibly polished.

For $15, it's not a hard ask to take a break from Super Mario Odyssey or your 10th run through The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for a little bit of time with Super Beat Sports.

Super Beat Sports is now available for the Nintendo Switch. A review copy was provided by the publisher.